﻿Tahiti Nui O' Tahitian﻿

Dancing Tahitian isn't only a dance, it's also a passion.

Basic Tahitian Moves.

Dancing Tahitian is like dancing Hula. Except when you dance Tahitian, you're moving your body in a very fast and rapid, but graceful way. And when you dance Hula, you're moving very slow, elegant and graceful way. Hula and Tahitian have similar moves. Like for example, the Ami. But, Tahitian has more moves. The basic moves of Tahitian is the Tairi Tamau,Tairi Tama, Varu and Otamu, Ami, and Fa'arapu.

DANCE MOVES : Tairi Tamau : Bend knees and STILL shoulders. Push your right knee back causing your right hip to softly jut out to the right. Now the left knee causing your left hip to jut out to the left. Alternate left, right, left, right smooth not sharp. Tairi Tama : This is very similar to the Tairi Tamau, but its' sharp movements and can become faster. Snap your right and then left knee back making your hips to snap left to right. Keep your shoulders still and knees bent. Then, drop your body low.Varu : It's a figure 8. You slow and smoothly push your hip out to the front and around to the right then back into the left hip moving forward around to the left and back then right again into a continuous figure 8 with your hips.Otamu : It's a box. Snap your hip to the front right, back right, then left back and left front. Pretend you're standing in a box if that helps. Your hips should hit each corner one at a time.Ami : Bend your knees, and keep your shoulders still. Push hips out slowly, in a smooth small circle.Fa'arapu : The Fa'arapu is the most important, but difficult step. This is the very fast impressive move you gawk at when you watch a Halau at competitions, if you're lucky at practices, and at events, parties, and Luaus. Everyone has a naturally more comfortable direction that their hips naturally like to move in. In my experience, my hips love to move clockwise. Counter clockwise is pretty difficult for me. Anyways, this is how you do it : Begin AGAIN by bending your knees and keeping your shoulders very still. Push hips out in a smooth Ami, then go faster and faster and faster. Now if you feel like you got this, try the other direction. If you naturally shake clockwise, try counter clockwise and vice versa. But, remember to make sure your circle is consistent all the way around and you're not jutting your bottom out or favoring one side.

History Of The Dance:

The history of Tahitian. Well the first thing is pretty obvious; where it orginated from: Tahiti. Tahitian dancing tells a story. Depending on the drumming, the moves, and body language is, the dance could be a story about love, war, an important person of Tahiti, a legend, or Gods.